The Pearl
by Manola3
Summary: Katara's reflections on her modern love life and shocking news. Jetara AU. Reviews are more than welcomed.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hello there, and thank you very much for taking the time to read my story. This is my first story, that I've posted that is and finished. Your reviews are welcomed open handed, with much appreciation. Do take the time to review my story, whether it is to let me know you liked it or not, and constructive criticism is very much asked for if you have any. I do warn you though, harsh words and meanness will be a little stab in my author confidence, so please do not be harsh if not necessary, which I hope it is not necessary. **

**Now if you may, continue onto the story and mind you that this is my first one. Review please, take the time out to do something nice, it can't possibly be that long and annoying that you refuse to do it. If you want to do it anonymously, then go ahead, but then replies will be a little hard to complete. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it. Remember, and yes I do know this is repetitive and annoying, REVIEW! Maybe a wonderful virtual treat will come your way. **

~By the way...

I do not own any of these characters, none of them, so do not think these are my characters. They are all from the wonderful Avatar show, though sucky pairing ending I must say. That is my disclaimer. Now you may read. Have a feast of words...

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She looks in the mirror for the hundredth time that day.

"You know what you look like, fool, the same way you did ten minutes ago," she says to herself. Realizing she's talking to herself yet again, she turns away from the mirror and heads towards the door and down the stairs. She stops before she's even halfway down.

"So, just don't get your hopes up. I can do that, right? This is just going to be like the other 'dates' we've had, or well _haven't _had more like. Or maybe he's really changing and it's not just a façade or a lie. Gah! No, don't think about it."

She resumes walking down the stairs and on the last step stops and slaps her head lightly. "Yeah, forget your cell phone and be left at the park alone, why don't you?" She retraces her steps to the house to get her purse, gives one quick last glance at the mirror and starts her trip towards the park before she can consider changing her mind.

As she walks down the streets with her iPod blasting and singing repetitively in her ears the chorus, she laughs lightly at the song and how well it applies to her relationship. _My heart beats only for you, my heart is yours. _She laughs because of how many nights she's sang along with it as she cries. She tries to think about of anything but the hope that…

"He might actually show up, though, right? After all he did say he had a huge surprise planned. That it was special and he hoped I'd like it. So maybe there is actually some-- NO! Stop it!" Her musings screech to a stop when she realizes the way they're headed. "_This_is why later on I will most likely be hurting, so I can't let my hopes get too high about him showing up, Even if he promised he would and it wasn't anything like his other half- assed promises that we both knew he'd break… Maybe, just maybe…" Katara rambles in her effort to forget; in an effort to convince herself while her steps take her closer to the park. It enters her line of vision and the sight releases another round of "forbidden thoughts".

"Jet said he'd be there, so he'll be there," she says with what must be the flimsiest reassurance ever spoken. "Argh! Stupid thoughts of him just _love_ invading my mind. I _will _stop thinking about him so much; I have to…for my own good."

She reaches the park after a few hot, slowly-passing minutes. "I knew I forgot something: water," she says with much distaste to the realization. "He better bring me some. Hmm… I wonder what his surprise is all about."

Plopping down on the grass, her mind begins to wonder what he's been up to lately that is such a big deal. Her thoughts go over how it wasn't so long ago that Jet had stood her up, making her wait the whole night for him but fail to keep to his word and so later he begged for forgiveness, even though it was completely unnecessary because they both knew how it always played out. First act: they make plans; he misses them for some important event and forgets to tell her he won't make it. For the next act, he shows up at school with his mischievous smile with a thousand apologies and zero explanations. Katara delivers a wonderful performance giving him crap about how he ditched her and how she won't put up with it; he follows with a light suggestion of her cooling off and disappears for the rest of the day. She realizes in a heartfelt soliloquy during his vanishing act that she can't ever be over with him and that same night he'll conveniently show up, and is readily granted the foreseen forgiveness and all is well with the world once more… Until next time, that is.

It's not such a big deal, really, except for the part where they barely ever hang out like real couples do. Or the one where he doesn't understand it or pretends he doesn't see that it hurts her to feel like he doesn't care enough to invest on some time with her. Or for the fact that she loves him and has no problems proving it while he can't even show that he feels the same way because he's just too damn stubborn to really show it the way she wants him to. Yeah, that's what hurts her the most. But she had to admit, Jet has been acting a lot better, a hundred times better. It finally feels like a relationship with both of them giving and receiving; no longer just her giving and waiting for nothing to be returned. He was finally showing her that he did love her and trying to prove it and she'd noticed how their relationship was progressing, slowly but still it was something.

As she sat back, reminiscing, her purse began to vibrate. She quickly took out her cell and answered happily, very much glad for a distraction to her thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kat, its Suki." Her close friend, like always checking up on her whenever plans to go out with Jet were on the menu in Katara's life.

"Oh hey Suki. What's up?"

"Meh. Nothing much really. I'm just trying to cook up some plans for this sunny afternoon; how 'bout you? Doing anything interesting?" she asked, trying to hide the real meaning of the question.

"Eh, just at the park, waiting for Jet."

"Ah Alrighty, well if you get too bored call me so we can make plans. I was thinking of heading to the movies."

"With your lil posse?" Katara joked.

"Yeess," she said with attitude, "with my _posse _and supposedly Sokka and Haru, they're not too sure yet."

"That's cool. Maybe we'll go; I'll tell Jet."

"Well, I'll text you the details later. Oh and have fun you kids." She said in a teasing voice.

"Yes ma'am, will do. Bye, I'll call you."

"Bye," said Suki.

"_Cheerful and happy as ever"_, Katara though as she shoved the cell phone back into her purse,_"she'd make a good couple with Sokka, or maybe Haru."_

Katara loved her dear friend, she was her closest friend, and since Katara had grown up around men and well her grandma, she was very glad to have another teen girl friend in her life, especially one who was as great as Suki. She had been watching some kids from a-far playing around; she loved kids, they were so entertaining and happy. Katara began to drift from thought to thought about nothing really, and lay back down, watching the clouds. Sokka and she would do this often when they were small, just sit and watch the clouds while their mom sat with them and pointed out clouds that looked like things, which would then lead to a story made up by Sokka which contribution from Katara, but Sokka always got mad when that happened because she made it into a girly story. She loved to do this now, even when she was older, it helped relax her.

"So pree-tty," she said to herself as a yawn escaped her mouth. Before she knew it, she'd fallen asleep but was soon waken by the unbearable heat. If only she was in a pool or under the rain or something. She kept on grumbling about the heat and the water he better bring and looked at her watch as she sat up. Not a little while ago it had almost been 2pm, now it was 2:25, but he said he'd be here at around 1:50, that she had to get here first. _"Maybe I got the time wrong, instead of 1:30 it was 2:30 and I was too busy changing eight times to remember. That's so me. Oh well whatever, he'll show up no doubt,"_ she thought trying to reassure herself of that. She lay back down on the grass singing but she couldn't 'drift' off again try as she might because of the doubts going on in the back of her head. She was sure the card and e-mail had said 1:30 and he had confirmed it at school on Friday, he said Saturday at 1:30 be at the park, she remembered clearly.

"So then…" she slowly said trying not to let the disappointment wash over her, "this is what I get for liking him so much, for forgiving him every single damn time. It's not fair," she felt tears building up at the back of her eyes, sadness sweeping in on her. "Because I let my hopes get so high and let him fool me time and time again, that's why I cry. But you know what? No, screw it; this is not going to be like every other time. I am not gonna cry for him. Yeah, that's right," she said, while trying to stop the tears from rolling down, she knew this pain would hurt more when she was alone at night thinking about the way it all turned out, and she'll have to keep on hurting until he decided to show up and apologize and give her some excuse as to why he stood her up.

"He hadn't done it in a long time, he had been so good lately and caring, what went wrong?" She couldn't let this happened again. "But if what he wants is a girl who's gonna believe him and get her hopes up for nothing, some girl who will wait on him like his own personal bell-hop then he's wrong to pick me, he'll have to choose someone else. I am NOT gonna let it happened again," she was telling herself all this out loud to be sure she wouldn't think differently later, "I'm not gonna give him the chance to do it again," she got up off the ground and kicked at nothing in particular but she could imagine who it'd be if she could. "I am through with this; all this crap I put up with. I forgive you every time and give you my love, for what? So that it can just turn around and slap me hard on the face. Not anymore, buddy, not with me!"

She hadn't noticed that as she had been talking a bit loud that someone was heading her way and quickly. Any other time she might have blushed thinking it was Jet finally deciding to show up; instead she got off her back and waited for him with her arms crossed. She realized that it was actually Zuko who was probably gonna tell her the excuse.

"_I couldn't care less what load of baloney he's gonna try and feed me this time about why Jet couldn't show up; and how dare he send someone else to give me the message."_ Suddenly a thought crawled into her head and left some pretty bad droppings. Terrified of it, and amazed by how true it could be. She couldn't believe it, but maybe, just maybe Jet had already given up on her, maybe he didn't want to be together anymore. _"Maybe this was it and I've been too blind to see it. He's gonna break up with me or, well, Zuko is gonna tell me he's gonna break up with me."_ Her heart began to beat and thud so hard, she felt as if her head was going to explode. She couldn't handle it, but she'd have to, at least for now. _"Well, if you don't want my love anymore then fine, I'll get over him some day, at least I can try" _she thought to herself, saddened by the thought that the end loomed near but yet with a lot of anger steaming out of her while she waited for Zuko to tell her what she knew was coming and should've known long ago.

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I hope you liked it. I know it kind of leaves you hanging there, but if I put it all in the it would be terribly long and I doubt many of you would want to read it. Thanks again, for taking the time to read this. Now if you could just deposit 1 more minute of your life so that you may give me a review, that would be awesome. Tell me your likes and dislikes, your opinions and thoughts, the _constructive _criticism, what you felt.

Thanks a bunch!

Review please...must you make me say it again?you know you want to, go on, it won't hurt you.

Wait for the next chapter to find out more about what has and will happend to Katara. Until the next part.

~Manola3


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously…**

"_I couldn't care less what load of baloney he's gonna try and feed me this time about why Jet couldn't show up; and how dare he send someone else to give me the message."_ Suddenly a thought crawled into her head and left some pretty bad droppings. Terrified of it, and amazed by how true it could be. She couldn't believe it, but maybe, just maybe Jet had already given up on her, maybe he didn't want to be together anymore. _"Maybe this was it and I've been too blind to see it. He's gonna break up with me or, well, Zuko is gonna tell me he's gonna break up with me."_ Her heart began to beat and thud so hard, she felt as if her head was going to explode. She couldn't handle it, but she'd have to, at least for now. _"Well, if you don't want my love anymore then fine, I'll get over him some day, at least I can try" _she thought to herself, saddened by the thought that the end loomed near but yet with a lot of anger steaming out of her while she waited for Zuko to tell her what she knew was coming and should've known long ago.

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"Katara, we have to get going" Zuko said as soon as he was within ear shot.

"What?! Why?" she demanded.

"Just come on," he spoke as he beckoned her towards him.

"No, I'm not going anywhere until I know why Jet isn't here. The _real_ reason," she turned slightly away, afraid he'd see the hurt in her eyes.

Zuko, annoyed by her stubbornness, took hold of her by the right shoulder and, as he slightly shook her so he'd get her full attention, he told her the big news.

"Katara, I'm sorry but Jet's been in an accident while he was on his way here. First he had to go to my house. He, uh, his motorcycle crashed. I don't know all the details," he was avoiding her gaze and still looking down, unsure to go on, "Smellerbee called me crying and she said to tell you he's at the hospital but I couldn't understand her well, she was in tears so… I'm sorry Katara. "

She didn't say anything; she just stood there looking at Zuko, big blue eyes wide open, unmoving and unblinking. She couldn't get past the first part; _he was in an accident_ she was thinking over and over again, not grasping it fully.

"Katara?" Zuko grabbed her by the shoulders and lightly pulled her towards him, "it's gonna be okay. We should get going to the--," without warning, she gave in to the fear in her heart and began crying uncontrollably, she just could not hold it in anymore.

"I was…" more tears and sobs drowned out her words. "Come on, I'll drive you there," Zuko whispered to her in the most soothing tone he could manage as he drew her towards the car whilst Katara kept mumbling and shaking.

Once in the car Katara hung her head in shame and covered them with her now sweaty palms. How could she ever consider something as terrible as letting Jet go, for him not be a part of her life?

"_I shouldn't have even thought that. How selfish am I?"_ she thought while she cried helplessly. The unbearable guilt and worry bringing more tears to her eyes, thus making Zuko feel extremely uneasy and to be honest sort of sorry for there was nothing much he could do to calm her down, therefore he kept repeating the same thing over and over in hopes of it having some late effect and giving her comfort.

"Shh, shh. It'll be okay, Katara. We're almost there." He consoled, with hopes that the seemingly never-ending tears would cease or just decrease, if even just a little.

"I- I can't-" Katara mumbled, trying to speak her mind as she picked her head up and looked at her hands, lying on her legs limply. "I just- I was so…worried," she looked to Zuko drawing in some breaths so as to hold a steady tone, "I know Jet, I know that he isn't exactly happy with me anymore and I wished I could get over him but, now I just feel so ugh… He has been _taken_ from me and now I see how I could _never_ live without…" and though she would have rambled on, tears blurred out her words and she caved into them.

A silence settled in between them, Zuko letting her calm down a bit. Once her breathing was once again more steady he began speaking.

"Katara," he said in his ever so calm and soothing 'I'm here for you' tone of voice, "I want you to know something that, as best friend of Jet, only I know, though you should too." He stopped and glanced at her from the corner of his better olive eye. She was staring intently at him, mouth slightly opened and mascara tears smeared down her tan cheeks.

"Jet is very, well how do I put this? He's just not how you think. You think he doesn't love you, that he doesn't care about you or well, your relationship, and for someone who knows him as well as you do I am appalled by that," he was now looking straight ahead at the road, moving nothing but the necessary to keep the car going in the right direction and his mouth. "Jet loves you so much, Katara; you have no clue of this obviously, but he _does_. He's constantly talking about you, how he feels, what he'd _like _to do, but that's just it. He _talks_ of what he'd like to do to show you his love for you, but you know he's just not like that. He doesn't express himself as well as you wish, or as well as anyone else for that matter, but he sure does try. When he does something wrong, and believe me he knows when he's done something wrong, he beats himself up, of course he'd never let you know that, but he knows he hurts you. That's why lately he's been trying so hard, so hard to show you what he feels inside. I- I probably shouldn't be telling you all of these, he'll kill me, but well I had to, as both of your friends, I had to. " He now sat there and when he finished looked slightly at her and gave her a half smile.

The rest of the ride was in silence, Zuko knowing Katara had a lot to think about, thus leaving her to herself. Once they were in the parking lot Katara turned to him before getting out of the car.

"Thanks." While smiling at him, she held his hand. He returned her smile and then they got out of the car, swiftly making their way to the hospital room.

They finally got in to the hospital and went straight to the waiting area. She was surrounded by many friends and family but she was not paying much attention to anything but her thoughts. As she headed to a bulky brown couch she was stopped by Toph. The short green eyed girl put a hand were she though Katara's shoulder would be, and not being too wise with comforting words, gave her a reassuring and friendly smile that spoke all in itself. Once on the couch, she just sat there, put her legs to her chest and cried into them, now with more sadness after what Zuko had told her, for fear that now that she knew this, something might go wrong. At some point Zuko put his arm around her to comfort her shaking body, but all she could do was worry and keep crying.

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During her teary moments, Sokka had arrived and tried to hug her beloved sister. Though he did not fully approve of Jet for her, he knew how much he meant to Katara thus he refrained from cracking any jokes but instead put all his efforts into comforting the hurt and worried Katara. Muttering words of consolation to her, she felt a tad bit better and Sokka mentioned how he was sure that soon they would look back on this and comment on how exaggerated she had acted, and Katara elbowed him lighted, so he then added though completely understandable. Pleading for him to stay and accompany her, he pressed on about how had to leave but would be back shortly after. After letting go of him, Sokka said his last few comforting words to her and before walking out the room, looked back at Zuko and smiled for he was grateful she had someone there to comfort her, even though they weren't quite as great as him in his mind, of course.

After half an hour, many smiles and reassuring words from friends and family had been passed, and now the tears had run out and she sat quietly. A nurse came out, announcing to the room full of tensed people that "he's awake but he can't take any visitors just yet, he'll be ready in a couple of hours." She then left the room and many anxious eyes just dropped back down. Katara got up to go to the bathroom and wash her face and try to calm down a bit. Her dad had come about an hour later to pick her up but she refused to leave so they left her with Zuko, along with Smellerbee, The Duke, and Longshot. At around 8pm a nurse came back out.

"He's feeling better now and can take just a few visitors. He will receive anesthesia in a little bit to rest so you must hurry and make sure to be careful with his injuries." Zuko then asked if he could go in, he had to explain that he was his best friend and had to see him. The nurse said yes but only a couple more could go in.

He turned towards Katara and grabbed her hand, "come on Katara, he's not going to be awake again until tomorrow. Let's go see him."

She got up and nervous as she was, rushed to the door, and tried to open it quietly. Jet turned his head towards them. Bandages covered most of his head, and he had some scratches on his face. A sheet was covering the rest of his body but his arms, neck and face, so Katara was able to see there was a cast on his arm. Rushing towards the right side of his bed, she had to be reminded several times of his injuries to refrain from hugging him. Though he looked terrible to most people and was all covered up, his eyes and smile made Katara melt inside. Smellerbee was going on and on about how irresponsible Jet was and how terrified they all were, so there was not much space for Katara to talk, so she sat and held his undamaged hand.

The nurse had come into their room to tell them they had to leave now so he could rest more, but she stayed behind for just a few seconds, for that was all the time they had left. Smiling as wide as she could and trying to hide her thoughts, she kept looking down. Jet, however knew her too well and understood she was hurt because those big blue eyes spoke a million words to him, and he was able to see right through her. Feeling the guilt, more than ever, he thought of what to say before she had to go.

"I'm sorry," he began to say.

"You know you'll always be forgiven." She smiled at him, trying not to seem too worried.

"Yeah and that's why I say it. I'm sorry for everything, for how I've acted with you. I'm sorry, I am, more than you'll ever know, that I acted how I did for so long and that…"

"I know Jet, I know," she said as she kneeled next to his bed, "just rest and get better."

He chuckled, "I…um Katara," he was stuttering which was a very uncommon thing for the mighty confident Jet, his smile wavering.

"What is it?" she said as she began to let go of his hand, "something hurts?" he tightened his grip on her hand and held it as he looked at her eyes with the most naïve and innocent look she had ever seen him display.

"No, I'm fine. I just, I'm sorry that it's so hard for me to show it but…" he smiled at her, "I love you, always have and always will."

Smile on her lips, eyes full of joyful tears, Katara leaned in to kissed his cheek softly, not wanting to hurt him in any way. As she looked into his eyes and got close to his forehead though not fully touching it, he leaned in, despite the immense pain on his neck from moving at all. Straining in effort to reach her lips, she moved the last bit towards him and lightly brushed her lips to his.

Whispering so that only she could hear, he said in the most romantic but in pain voice he could muster, "I love you, always and more than you will ever know."

"_I love you too…more than is possible,"_ she thought to herself, not saying it aloud because she didn't need to.

The End

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**Author's ending note to the wonderful readers.**

**And that is it, ladies and gentlemen. Though I set out to do a one-shot, it became too long and this chapter is the unedited version, so imagine if I had put more thought into it… would have been a heck of a lot longer than this, thus making it a three-shot. **

**Hopefully the amount of mushiness is not too unbearable, or too much to your dislike. However, in my opinion, it had to be done for it to convey the feeling of their intense love. **

**Do remember that reviews are welcomed gratefully. Constructive criticism is my favorite, so if you have any comments that might help me become a better writer, which I am sure are quite a lot, send them on in and I will surely respond with gratitude. **

**Look out for any upcoming chapters or stories, which yes, I am working on. **

**Also, on my to-do list… I must thank my first reviewer, because well you were the firs. So thank you very much Ell25, for the wonderful review and the encouragement.**

**Of course, I will also thank the wonderful and lovely, PF Nelly, who helped me finish this and gave me the most splendid ideas and tips, along with a great amount of support and encouragement. **

**Now this sounds like I just won an Emmy or something of the kind…oh well. **

**~Manola3**


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